Daniel Craig's Showtime Series Purity Delayed Because of James Bond

He's Bond, James Bond, possibly two more times. It looks almost guaranteed at this point that Daniel Craig is going to return for James Bond 25 which has been rumored for some time now, but the producers have yet to make an official announcement. At this point, making one might just be a formality as Showtime's David Nevins, who has been working with Daniel Craig on the show Purity, has revealed that the actor is going to film James Bond 25 before getting to work on the long-awaited series.

Daniel Craig has been attached to star in Purity, a limited series adaptation of author Jonathan Franzen's novel of the same name for quite some time. Showtime CEO David Nevins spoke with reporters during the Television Critics Association's summer press tour and, per The Hollywood Reporter, he confirmed that not only is Purity delayed for a good bit, but that Craig is definitely doing James Bond 25. Here's what he had to say about it.

"He's doing Bond first and I can't say anything about what I know or don't know about Bond, [but] It's possible it may not shoot until 2019."

Since David Nevin is working with Daniel Craig on a show that they fully intend to shoot, it makes absolute sense that he would be aware of his availability. So, even though this isn't coming from Eon Productions or MGM, this pretty much seals the deal. We've come a long way from when Craig said he would rather "slash his wrists" than play James Bond again just after he finished shooting Spectre.

There are separate reports, albeit from The Sun, who is a relatively unreliable tabloid, that Daniel Craig has actually signed on for not one but two more turns as 007. That means he will be back for James Bond 25 and James Bond 26. Producer Barbara Broccoli somehow managed to change his mind in a big way. With Craig set to return, it also is a very safe bet that Naomie Harris (Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), Christoph Waltz (Blofeld), Ralph Fiennes (M) and Jeffrey Wright (Felix Leiter) will return as well. Dave Bautista also expressed interest in returning, despite the fact that it seemed as though his character died in Spectre.

What we do know for certain is that James Bond 25 is set to arrive on November 8, 2019. So production is going to have to get underway in the relatively near future. There is no director officially attached yet, but the shortlist includes Yann Demange ('71), David Mackenzie (Hell or High Water) and Denis Villeneuve (Arrival). All we're waiting on now is an official announcement from the producers. Perhaps they are waiting for Daniel Craig to finish up doing press for his upcoming movie Logan Lucky? If they were to announce his official return prior, it might overshadow things a bit. Whatever the reason, if they are trying to keep it a secret, it is a poorly kept secret at this point.

Writer of various things on the internet (mostly about movies) since 2013. Major lover of popcorn flicks. Avid appreciator of James Bond, Marvel and Star Wars. Has a tremendously fat cat named Buster and still buys CDs. I’ve got my reasons.